through all my Life to be an unvaluable mercy to me For 1. It greatly weakned Temptations 2. It kept me in a great Contempt of the World 3. It taught me highly to esteem of time so that if any of it past away in idleness or unprofitableness it was so long a pain and burden to my mind So that I must say to the Praise of my most wise Conductor that time hath still seemed to me much more precious than Gold or any Earthly Gain and its Minutes have not been despised nor have I been much tempted to any of the Sins which go under the name of Pastime since I understood my Work 4. It made me study and preach things necessary and a little stirred up my sluggish heart to speak to Sinners with some Compassion as a dying Man to dying Men. These with the rest which I mentioned before when I spake of my Infirmities were the Benefits which God afforded me by Affliction I humbly bless his gracious Providence who gave me his Treasure in an Earthen Vessel and trained me up in the School of Affliction and taught me the Cross of Christ so soon that I might be rather Theologus Crucis as Luther speaketh than Theologus Gloriae and a Cross-bearer than a Cross-maker or Imposer § 33. At one time above all the rest being under a new and unusual Distemper which put me upon the present Expectations of my Change and going for Comfort to the Promises as I was used the Tempter strongly assaulted my Faith and would have drawn me towards Infidelity it self Till I was ready to enter into the Ministry all my Troubles had been raised by the hardness of my heart and the doubtings of my own Sincerity but now all these began to vanish and never much returned to this day And instead of these I was now assaulted with more pernicious Temptations especially to question the certain Truth of the Sacred Scriptures and also the Life to come and Immortality of the Soul And these Temptations assaulted me not as they do the Melancholy with horrid vexing Importunity but by pretence of sober Reason they would have drawn me to a setled doubting of Christianity And here I found my own Miscarriage and the great Mercy of God My Miscarriage in that I had so long neglected the well settling of my Foundations while I had bestowed so much time in the Superstructures and the Applicatory part For having taken it for an intolerable Evil once to question the Truth of Scriptures and the Life to come I had either taken it for a Certainty upon Trust or taken up with Common Reasons of it which I had never well considered digested or made mine own Insomuch as when this Temptation came it seemed at first to answer and enervate all the former Reasons of my feeble Faith which made me take the Scriptures for the Word of God and it set before me such Mountains of Difficulty in the Incarnation the Person of Christ his Undertaking and Performance with the Scripture Chronology Histories and Stile c. which had stalled and overwhelmed me if God had not been my strength And here I saw much of the Mercy of God that he let not out these terrible and dangerous Temptations upon me while I was weak and in the infancy of my Faith for then I had never been able to withstand them But Faith is like a Tree whose Top is small while the Root is young and shallow and therefore as then it hath but small rooting so is it not liable to the shaking Winds and Tempests as the big and high-grown Trees are But as the top groweth higher so the root at once grows greater and deeper fixed to cause it to endure its greater Assaults Though formerly I was wont when any such Temptation came to cast it aside as fitter to be abhorred than considered of yet now this would not give me satisfaction but I was fain to dig to the very Foundations and seriously to Examine the Reasons of Christianity and to give a hearing to all that could be said against it that so my Faith might be indeed my own And at last I found that Nil tam certum quamquod ex dublo certum Nothing is so firmly believed as that which hath been sometime doubted of § 34. In the storm of this Temptation I questioned a while whether I were indeed a Christian or an Infidel and whether Faith could consist with such Doubts as I was conscious of For I had read in many Papists and Protestants that Faith had Certainty and was more than an Opinion and that if a Man should live a godly Life from the bare apprehensions of the Probability of the Truth of Scripture and the Life to come it would not save him as being no true Godliness or Faith But my Judgment closed with the Reason of Dr. Iackson's Determination of this Case which supported me much that as in the very Assenting Act of Faith there may be such weakness as may make us cry Lord increase our Faith We believe Lord help our belief so when Faith and Unbelief are in their Conflict it is the Effects which must shew us which of them is victorious And that he that hath so much Faith as will cause him to deny himself take up his Cross and forsake all the Profits Honours and Pleasures of this World for the sake of Christ the Love of God and the hope of Glory hath a saving Faith how weak soever For God cannot condemn the Soul that truly loveth and seeketh him And those that Christ bringeth to persevere in the Love of God he bringeth to Salvation And there were divers Things that in this Assault proved great Assistances to my Faith 1. That the Being and Attributes of God were so clear to me that he was to my Intellect what the Sun is to my Eye by which I see it self and all Things And he seemed mad to me that questioned whether there were a God that any Man should dream that the World was made by a Conflux of Irrational Atoms and Reason came from that which had no Reason or that Man or any Inferiour Being was independent or that all the being Power Wisdom and Goodness which we conversed with had not a Cause which in Being Power Wisdom and Goodness did excel all that which it had caused in the World and had not all that formaliter vel eminenter in it self which it communicated to all the Creatures These and all the Suppositions of the Atheist have ever since been so visibly foolish and shameful to my Apprehension that I scarce find a Capacity in my self of doubting of them and whenever the Tempter hath joyned any thing against these with the rest of his Temptations the rest have been the easier overcome because of the overwhelming cogent Evidences of a Deity which are always before the Eyes of my Soul 2. And it helped me much to discern that this God must needs be related to us as our Owner
be as dear to us as any other and that if I were a Member of Mr. Tombeis Church if he would permit me I would live obediently under his Ministry allowing me the Liberty of my Conscience I hope God is working for our Unity and Peace I have been long preaching of the Unity of the Catholick Church containing all true Christians as Members and the last Week save one Mr. Tombes came to the Re-baptized Church at Bewdley and preacht on the same Subbject and so excellently well as I hear for Unity among all true Christians to the same purpose with your Husband's Arguments that I much rejoiced to hear of it though I hear some of his People were offended And now that this should be seconded with your Husband 's peaceable Arguments puts me in some Hopes of a little more healing I have strong Hopes that if I were in London I should persuade such as your Husband and Mr. Iohn Goodwin and many an honest Presbyterian Minister as great a distance as seems to be between them all to come yet together and live in Holy Communion But be sure God will drive us together before he hath done with us Living Members will smart by distance and be impatient till the Wound be closed what a Damp is upon the Spirits of those Christians that can separate interpretatively from a thousand parts to one of the Church of Christ. The Papists would desire no better sport nor the Infidels neither than to reduce the Church of Christ to the Antipaede Baptists or the baptized at Age and so to deny him to have had any visible Church in the World that we can prove for so many Years Would they have held Communion with the Catholick Church for a thousand Years together or would they not if they had lived in those times If they would then why not with us also that are of the same Judgment Was it a Duty then and is it unlawful now or are they Respecters of Persons If they would not in all those Ages have held Communion with the visible Church what would they have done but separated from the Body and so from the Head and cast off Christ in all his Members and taken him to be a Head without a Body which is no head and so no Christ what would they have done but denied his Power and Love and Truth and consequently his Redemption and his Office Hath he come at the end of Four Thousand Years since the Creation to redeem the World that lay so long in Darkness and hath he made such wonderful Preparations for his Church by his Life and Miracles and Blood and Spirit c. and promised that the Gates of Hell shall not prevail against it and that his Kingdom shall be an Everlasting Kingdom and his Dominion endureth from Generation to Generation and yet after all this shall he have a Church even as the Seekers say but for an Age or two For doubtless tho' where Heathens were the Neighbours of the Church many were baptised at Age yet no Man can name or prove a Society or I think a Person against infant Baptism for One Thousand Two Hundred Years at least if not One Thousand Four Hundred And for many Ages no other ordinarily baptized but Infants If Christ had no Church then where was his Wisdom his Love and his Power What was become of the Glory of his Redemption and his Catholick Church that was to continue to the End That Man that can believe that Christ had no Church for so long time or any one Age since his Ascension must turn an Infidel and deny him to be Christ if he be a rational Man Did all the Gospel Precepts of Love and Holy Communion cease as soon as Infant Baptism prevailed doubtless though it be be his Ordinance Christ never laid so great a stress on the outward Washing as Dividers do Whenever Baptism is mentioned in Scripture it means The Engagement of the Person to Jesus Christ by solemn Covenant which Washing is appointed to Solemnize and 1 Cor. 12. 13. doth plainly mean That one Holy Spirit which is usually given to the Baptized either in or near their outward Baptism doth inwardly animate all the Body and unite them and assimilate them and prove them Members Constantine the Great was the Glory of the Church in his Generation maintaining Holiness and Peace when the Pastors were some Corrupters and some Dividers and would have broken all in Pieces but for him He ordinarily Preached or made Holy Prayers and Speeches in Meetings and yet was never baptized all this while till near Death and none ever scrupuled his Communion I would know of the Dividers why they should think Baptism more necessary to be believed than the other Sacrament the Supper of the Lord Yet it is certain that all the ancient Church did purposely conceal the Lord's Supper from the Knowledge of the Catechumens by which it appears they judged not the Belief of it essential to a Church Member Yet I know the great thing meant by the Word Baptism in Scripture is essential to the Church-Membership of the Adult that is the giving up our selves to God the Father Son and Holy Ghost in Covenant but the Sign is only necessary as a Duty but not as a means without which the thing cannot be had This is voluminously proved against the Papists with whom the contrary minded do comply Circumcision in the Wilderness was separated from Church-Membership and Communion And is the outward part of Baptism more necessary under the Gospel which setteth less by Externals and where God that is a Spirit will be worshipped in Spirit and in Truth and where neither Circumcision nor Un-Uncircumcision availeth any thing but a new Creature and Faith that worketh by Love But our main Argument against them is That no true Definition can be given of Baptism that will not agree with Infant-Baptism if it were granted to be unlawful were it proved an unmeet Age it will never prove the Baptism null But I do but go besides your Expectation I suppose in all this which is occasioned by your Husbands Paper and the main Cause I shall therefore come at last to your Case But will Mr. Lambe regard the Judgment of one that differeth from him as I do You know according to my Judgment what I must advise him to but though still it is my Judgment that Infants of Believers should be solemnly given up to Christ by Baptism yet I shall deal as impartially as I can and put my self in Mr. L's Case and supposing I were of his Opinion against Infant-Baptism I shall answer your particular Questions To the two first I answer 1. We have a sure Word to fly to for Direction and many great and evident Principles as here the Nature of the Catholick Church c. to give us Light in the darker Points that depend upon them and in such a Case it is dangerous gathering our Informations about Truth or Duty or
and the Rule of his Faith and Life And repenting unfeignedly of his Sins he did resolve through the Grace of God sincerely to obey him both in Holiness to God and Righteousness to Men and in special Love to the Saints and in Communion with them against all the Temptations of the Devil the World and his own Flesh and this to the Death If therefore these things were Believed and Consented to by him and if these things do essentiate our Saving Christianity and so be sufficient to make us all one in Christ why should some different Modes and Forms of Speech wherewith these great Substantials may and do consist obtain of Men to think him Heterodox because he uses not their Terms And why should such Distances and Discords be kept up amongst us whilst we all of us own all the forementioned Articles and are always ready on all sides to renounce whatever Opinions shall appear to overthrow or shake such Articles of Faith and Covenanting Terms with God and Christ And I cannot but believe that all Christians seriously bound for Heaven and that are fixed upon these Truths are nearer each to other in their Judgments than different Modes of Speech seem to represent them Of such great Consequence is true Charity and Candour amongst Christians 3. The Reverend Prelates and the Ministers and Members of the Church of England may possibly distaste his plainness with them and think him too severe upon them But 1. they are no Strangers to his professed and exemplified Moderation Who valued their Worth and Learning more than he did Who more endeavoured to keep up Church Communion with them by Pen Discourse and Practise though not exclusively Who more sharply handled and more throughly wrote against and reprehended total Separation from them than himself And what Dissenter from them ever made fairer and more noble Overtures or more judicious Proposals for a large and lasting Comprehension with them than they knew he did And who more fairly warned them of the dismal Consequences and calamitous Effects of so narrowing the Church of England by the strict Acts procured and executed against so many peaceable Ministers who thereby were silenced imprisoned discouraged and undone And how many Souls and Families were ruin'd and scandaliz'd by their imposed Terms another and that a solemn and great Day will shew e're long 2. Our Author never yet endeavoured to unChurch them nor to eclipse their Worthies nor did he ever charge their great Severities on them all He ever would acknowledge and he might truly do it that they had great and excellent Men and many such amongst them both of their Laiâ—y and Clergy 3. He thought what I am satisfied is true that many of them little knew who and what was behind the Curtain nor what designed nor great Services were doing to France and Rome hereby 4. And his great Sufferings from them may well even as other things abate their Censuring if not prevent too keen Relentments of these Historical Accounts of them 5. And to leave these things out was more than Mr. Baxter would allow me or admit of Pardon one who acts by Order not of Choice 4. That such copious and prolix Discourses should be here inserted about Things fitter for oblivion than to be remembred may seem liable to Exceptions and Distast from some viz. such Discourses as respect the Solemn League and Covenant the Oxford Act c. Things now abandon'd and repealed by Act of Parliament for Liberty of Conscience But 1. those pressing Acts are yet upon Record and so exposed to the view of Men from Age to Age. 2. They represent Dissenters as an intolerable Seed of Men. 3. All Readers will not readily discern what here is said by way of Apology for those of whom such Acts took hold 4. Hereby Dissenters will appear to all succeeding Generations as a People worthy of nothing but National Severities and Restraints Whence 5. their Enemies will be confirmed in their groundless Thoughts and Censures of them 6. This will not lead to that Love and Concord amongst all Protestants which God's Laws and the Publick Interest and Welfare of Church and State require 7. Those things abode so long in force and to such fatal dreadful purpose as that the Effects thereof are felt by many Families and Persons to this day 8. And all this was but to discharge some of no small Figure in their Day from all Obligations to perform what had been solemnly vowed to God Surely such as never took that Covenant could only disclaim all Obligations on themselves to keep it by virtue of any such Vow upon themselves but to discharge those that had taken it from what therein they had vowed to God to do till God himself discharge them or that it be evident from the intrinsick unalterable Evâ—â— of the Matter vowed that no such Vow shall stand is more than I dare undertake to prove at present or to vindicate in the great Day However a Man 's own Latitude of Perswasion cannot as such absolve another nor eo nomine be another's Rule or Law But 9. if these long Discourses be needful pertinent clear and strong as to the state of that Aâ—â—air their length may be born with 10. The Author thought it needful to have this set in the clear open Light to disabule all that had been imposed on by false or partial and defective History in this Matter and to remove or prevent or allay Scandal and Censure for time to come 11. And if such things be also published to make our selves and others still more sensible of what we owe to God and to our most gracious King and his late Soveraign Consort and our then most gracious Queen Mary not to be parallel'd in any History that I know of by any of her Sex for All truly Royal Excellencies and to his Parliaments who have so much obliged us with freeing us from those so uncomfortable Bonds what Fault can be imputed to the Publisher herein Shall Gratitude be thought a Crime though more copious in the Materials of it than may every way consist with the stricter Bounds of Accuracy 12. I am apt to think and not without cogent ground that very many Readers now and hereafter would with the Author have thought me unfaithful to themselves and him had I not transmitted to Posterity what he left and as he left it for their use And I hope therefore that the Reader will not interpret this Publication as the Product of a Recriminating Spirit God himself knows it to be no such Birth Thirdly The Publication 1. The Author wrote it for this End 2. He left it with me to be published after his Death 3. He left it to the Iudgment of another and my self only by a Writing ordered to be given me after his Death as my Directory about the Publication of his other Manuscripts which are many and of moment And if thâ— rest entrusted with me about their being printed one or
on the Wax is caused by that on the Seal Therefore I do more of late than ever discern a necessity of a methodical procedure in maintaining the Doctrine of Christianity and of beginning at Natural Verities as presupposed fundamentally to supernatural though God may when he please reveal all at once and even Natural Truths by Supernatural Revelation And it is a marvellous great help to my Faith to find it built on so sure Foundations and so consonant to the Law of Nature I am not so foolish as to pretend my certainty to be greater than it is meerly because it is a dishonour to be less certain nor will I by shame be kept from confessing those Infirmities which those have as much as I who hypocritically reproach me with them My certainty that I am a Man is before my certainty that there is a God for Quod facit notum est magis notum My certainty that there is a God is greater than my certainty that he requireth love and holiness of his Creature My certainty of this is greater than my certainty of the Life of Reward and Punishment hereafter My certainty of that is greater than my certainty of the endless duration of it and of the immortality of individuate Souls My certainty of the Deity is greater than my certainty of the Christian Faith My certainty of the Christian Faith in its Essentials is greater than my certainty of the Perfection and Infallibility of all the Holy Scriptures My certainty of that is greater than my certainty of the meaning of many particular Texts and so of the truth of many particular Doctrines or of the Canonicalness of some certain Books So that as you see by what Gradations my Understanding doth proceed so also that my Certainty differeth as the Evidences differ And they that have attained to greater Perfection and a higher degree of Certainty than I should pity me and produce their Evidence to help me And they that will begin all their Certainty with that of the Truth of the Scripture as the Principium Cognoscendi may meet me at the same end but they must give me leave to undertake to prove to a Heathen or Infidel the Being of a God and the necessity of Holiness and the certainty of a Reward or Punishment even while he yet denieth the Truth of Scripture and in order to his believing it to be true 6. In my younger years my trouble for Sin was most about my Actual failings in Thought Word or Action except Hardness of Heart of which more anon But now I am much more troubled for â—nward Defects and omission or want of the Vital Duties or Graces in the Soul My daily trouble is so much for my Ignorance of God and weakness of Belief and want of greater love to God and strangeness to him and to the Life to come and for want of a greater willingness to die and longing to be with God in Heaven as that I take not some Immoralities though very great to be in themselves so great and odious Sins if they could be found as separate from these Had I all the Riches of the World how gladly should I give them for a fuller Knowledge Belief and Love of God and Everlasting Glory These wants are the greatest burden of my Life which oft maketh my Life it self a burden And I cannot find any hope of reaching so high in these while I am in the Flesh as I once hoped before this time to have attained which maketh me the wearier of this sinful World which is honoured with so little of the Knowledge of God 7. Heretofore I placed much of my Religion in tenderness of heart and grieving for sin and penitential tears and less of it in the love of God and studying his love and goodness and in his joyful praises than now I do Then I was little sensible of the greatness and excellency of Love and Praise though I coldly spake the same words in its commendations as now I do And now I am less troubled for want of grief and tears though I more value humility and refuse not needful Humiliation But my Conscience now looketh at Love and Delight in God and praising him as the top of all my Religious Duties for which it is that I value and use the rest 8. My Judgment is much more for frequent and serious Meditation on the heavenly Blessedness than it was heretofore in my younger days I then thought that a Sermon of the Attributes of God and the Joys of Heavenâ— were not the most excellent and was wont to say Every body knoweth this that God is great and good and that Heaven is a blessed place I had rather hear how I may attain it And nothing pleased me so well as the Doctrine of Regeneration and the Marks of Sincerity which was because it was suitable to me in that state but now I had rather read hear or meditate on God and Heaven than on any other Subject for I perceive that it is the Object that altereth and elevateth the Mind which will be such as that is which it most frequently feedeth on And that it is not only useful to our comfort to be much in Heaven in our believing thoughts but that is must animate all our other Duties and fortifie us against every Temptation and Sin and that the Love of the end is it that is the poise or spring which setteth every Wheel a going and must put us on to all the means And that a Man is no more a Christian indeed than he is Heavenly 9. I was once wont to meditate most on my own heart and to dwell all at home and look little higher I was still poring either on my Sins or Wants or examining my Sincerity but now though I am greatly convinced of the need of Heart-acquaintance and imployment yet I see more need of a higher work and that I should look often upon Christ and God and Heaven than upon my own Heart At home I can find Distempers to trouble me and some Evidences of my Peace but it is above that I must find matter of Delight and Ioy and Love and Peace it self Therefore I would have one thought at home upon my self and sins and many thought above upon the high and amiable and beatifying Objects 10. Heretofore I knew much less than now and yet was not half so much acquainted with my Ignorance I had a great delight in the daily new Discoveries which I made and of the Light which shined in upon me like a Man that cometh into a Country where he never was before But I little knew either how imperfectly I understood those very Points whose discovery so much delighted me nor how much might be said against them nor how many things I was yet a stranger to But now I find far greater Darkness upon all things and perceive how very little it is that we know in comparision of that which we are ignorant of and and have
whole Christian World 5. That the Church is the Pillar and Ground of Truth the Possessors Keepers and Teachers of God's Oracles and that the Gates of Hell shall not prevail against it is most sure and comfortable Truth But what is this to Rome any more than to Ierusalem or Alexandria The Gates of Hell shall not prevail against the Body of Christ the Universality of Christians the true Catholick Church But it may prevail against Corinthians Gallateans Romans or any particular part As it prevailed against Pope Iohn XXII alias XXIII to make him deny the Resurrection and against Pope Eugenius to make him a Heretick if General Councils are to be believed 6. As to what you say of Apostles still placed in the Church When any shew us an immediate Mission by their Commission and by Miracles Tongues and a Spirit of Revelation and infallability prove themselves Apostles we shall believe them Till then we remember that Church that was commended for trying them that said they were Apostles and were not and finding them Lyers Rev. 23. Peter and the Twelve Apostles with him we acknowledge and Paul we acknowledge but know none properly called Apostles living now But if it be only the Name and not the Office that you differ about and by Apostles you mean not Men immediately sent by Christ to preach the Gospel with a Spirit of Miracles and Infallability which is our Sense of that Word but some other sort of Men then if they be ordinory Pastors or Bishops it s no matter of Difference if not you must describe them before we can know them They are to blame whoever they be that they call not themselves Apostles and tell us where who and how many they are if they are so indeed 7. They were to be accounted Heathens and Publicans that heard not the Church admonishing them But sure other Pastors besides Apostles must admonish and be heard And other Churches besides the Roman must hold or refuse Communion as is there signified either you will erroneously have that Text understood of the Universal Church or else truly of a Particular Church If the former what 's that to the Roman Church that is but a corrupted Part If the latter it 's no more to the Roman than any other which are particular Churches also surely this is plain Truth if you are willing to see 8. You say The Faith of which Believers were was that of the Romans spread through the World Answ. Yes and it was the Faith of the Ephesians Philippians Colâ—ssians too and all one The Romans had not a Faith of their own specifically different from others Nor did the Holy Ghost by the Apostles ever give one Word of Command to other Churches to conform their Faith to Rome or take that Church for their Mistress or Sovereign These Fancies Pride hath set up against Christ The Faith of Ierusalem was as much known through the World as that of Rome and sure you think not that being known through the World made them the Rule or Rulers of the World 9. Upon Observation you find this Church shining as a Light and set as a City on a Hill And was not Ierusalem Antioch Alexandria Ephesus c. so too Sure they were All faithful Preachers of the Gospel especially the Apostles were observable as such Lights and City to the World that wondred at their Doctrine which is all that Christ there saith and as I said the universal Church is more observable than the Roman Sect And other particular Churches are and were as Light and Conspicuous as it And the most conspicuous Church hath from thence no Pretence to be the rule or Ruler of the rest 10. You say This Church hath been ever triumphant ever Heresies Answ. 1. What! when Honorius was by two or three General Councils condemned for a Heretick Pope Iohn XXII and Eugenius as beforesaid for that and worse with many more 2. Woe to the Churches if others had not conquered Heresy better than the Roman Party hath done 3. And veriâ—y did you think that a particular Church is therefore the Rule or Ruler to the rest because it triumpheth over Heresy 11. You add immoveable in Persecutions Answ. 1. For they have been the great Persecutors as Leeches sucking and swell'd with the Blood of Thousands and Ten Thousands of the Saints and Martyrs of Jesus O the Blood that will be found among them when the righteous Judge of all the World shall make Inquisition for Blood among their Massacrees and Inquisitions 2. Was that Church unmoveable in Persecution when the Head of it Pope Marcellinus offered Incense to Idols And Liberius subscribed to the Arrians and against Athenasius What should I tell you of more who I perceive are made believe the Crow is white 3. Again it is a pitiful Proof of their Rule to prove them immutable in Persecution The Church hath many Heads if every Church or Bishop be its Head that hath stood fast in Persecution 12. You add And always watchful in the Succession of Pastors I give you the same Answers 1. watchful indeed when their own Church Histories tell us of such Multitudes that came in by Symony or Poison or other Murder or Violence that have been Hereticks as aforeshewd or Adulterers Murderers and such impious Wretches as the Cannons depose and when Iohn XII or XIII was deposed by a Councell for ravishing Maids and Wives at his Doors and abundance more such Villanies and Iohn XXII for worse and when Eugenius continued the Succession when a general Council bad judged him a Heretick wicked deposed c. and when they have had such abundance of Schisms having two three or four Popes alive at once and one Schism of Forty Years in which no Man knew or knows to this Day which was the true Pope and when meer Possession is it that must prove their Succession For besides these Incapacities Mr. Iohnson you may see confesseth that no one way of Election by Cardinals People Emperors Bishops Councils c. hath been held or is necessary nor any Consecration necessary at all to the being of the Pope And if a Succession of bare Possession serve how many Churches have the like Yea 2. Constantinople Ethiopia Armenia and many other Churches have had a far more regular Succession than Rome of at least as good 3. And it 's a pitiful Argument that because a Church hath had a Succession of Pastors therefore they are the whole Church and others are no part or therefore they are the 〈◊〉 and Rulers to the rest or therefore we must be of that Particular Church only Surâ— none denies the Succession of Pastors in England as to meer possession of the Place if that will serve the turn 13. To what you say of being 〈◊〉 Holy Catholick and Apostolick and cannot deceive you I answer 1. O dreadful Delusion that a Church headed with horrid Monsters and not Men 〈◊〉 their own Histories describe a multitude of their Popes should
passion or prejudice give us such a further assistance towards a perfect Union of Affections as well as Submission to Authority as is necessary And we are the rather induced to take this upon us by finding upon the full Conference we have had with the Learned Men of several Perswasions that the Mischiefs under which both the Church and State do at present suffer do not result from any formed Doctrine or Conclusion which either Party maintains or avows but from the Passion and Appetite and Interest of particular Persons who contract greater Prejudice to each other from those Affections than would naturally arise from their Opinions and those Distempers must be in some degree allayed before the Meeting in a Synod can be attended with better Success than their Meeting in other places and their Discourses in Pulpits have hitherto been and till all thoughts of Victory are laid aside the humble and necessary Thoughts for the vindication of Truth cannot be enough entertained We must for the Honour of all those of either Perswasion with whom we have conferred declare That the Professions and Desires of all for the Advancement of Piety and true Godliness are the same their Professions of Zeal for the Peace of the Church the same of Affection and Duty to us the same They all approve Episcopacy They all approve a Set-From of Liturgy And they disapprove and dislike the Sin of Sacriledge and the Alienation of the Revenue of the Church And if upon these excellent Foundations in Submission to which there is such a Harmony of Affections any Super-structures should be raised to the shaking those Foundations and to the contracting and lessening the blessed Gift of Charity which is a Vital part of Christian Religion we shall think our self very unfortunate and even suspect that we are defective in that Administration of Government with which God hath intrusted us We need not profess the high Affection and Esteem we have for the Church of England as it is established by Law the Reverence to which hath supported us with Gods Blessing against many Temptations Nor do we think that Reverence in the least degree diminished by our Condescensions not peremptorily to insist upon some Particulars of Ceremony which however introduced by the Piety and Devotion and Order of former Times may not be so agreeable to the present but may even lessen that Piety and Devotion for the improvement whereof they might happily be first introduced and consequently may well be dispensed with And we hope this Charitable compliance of ours will dispose the Minds of all Men to a chearful Submission to that Authority the preservation whereof is so necessary for the Unity and Peace of the Church and that they will acknowledge the Support of the Episcopal Authority to be the best Support of Religion by being the best means to contain the Minds of Men within the Rules of Government And they who would restrain the Exercise of that holy Function within the Rules which were observed in the Primitive Times must remember and consider that the Ecclesiastical Power being in those blessed Times always subordinate and subject to the Civil it was likewise proportioned to such an Extent of Jurisdiction as was agreeable to that And as the Sanctity and Simplicity and Resignation of that Age did then refer many things to the Bishops which the Policy of succeeding Ages would not admit at least did otherwise provide for so it can be no Reproach to Primitive Episcopacy if where there have been great Alterations in the Civil Government from what was then there have been likewise some Difference and Alteration in the Ecclesiastical the Essence and Foundation being still preserved And upon this Ground without out taking upon us to Censure the Government of the Church in other Countries where the Government of the State is different from what it is here or enlarging our self upon the Reasons why whilst there was an Imagination of Erecting a Democratical Government here in the State they should not be willing to continue an Aristocratical Government in the Church it shall suffice to say That since by the wonderful Blessing of God the Hearts of this whole Nation are returned to an Obedience to Monarchique Government in the State it must be very reasonable to Support that Government in the Church which is established by Law and which with the Monarchy hath flourished through so many Ages and which is in truth as ancient in this Island as the Christian Monarchy thereof and which hath always in some respects or degrees been enlarged or restrained as hath been thought most conducing to the Peace and Happiness of the Kingdom and therefore we have not the least doubt but the present Bishops will think the present Concessions now made by us to allay the present Distempers very just and reasonable and will very chearfully Conform themselves thereunto 1. We do in the first place declare That as the present Bishops are known to be Men of Great and Exemplary Piety in their Lives which they have manifested in their notorious and unexampled Sufferings during these late Distempers and of great and known Sufficiency of Learning so we shall take special Care by the Assistance of God to prefer no Men to that Office and Charge but Men of Learning Vertue and Piety who may be themselves the best Examples to those who are to be Governed by them and we shall expect and provide the best we can that the Bishops be frequent Preachers and that they do very often preach themselves in some Church of their Diocess except they be hindered by Sickness or other bodily Infirmities or some other justifiable occasion which shall not be thought justifiable if it be frequent 2. If any Diocess shall be thought of too large an Extent we will appoint Suffragan Bishops for their Assistance 3. No Bishop shall Ordain or Exercise any part of Jurisdiction which appertains to the Censures of the Church without the Advice of the Presbyters and no Chancellour shall exercise any Act of Spiritual Jurisdiction 4. As the Dean and Chapters are the most proper Council and Assistants of the Bishop both in Ordination and for the other Offices mentioned before so we shall take care that those Preferments be given to the most Learned and Pious Presbyters of the Diocess that thereby they may be always at hand and ready to advise and assist the Bishop And moreover That some other of the most Learned Pious and Discreet Presbyters of the same Diocess as namely the Rural Deans or others or so many of either as shall be thought fit and are nearest be called by the Bishop to be present and assistant together with those of the Chapter at all Ordinations and at all other Solemn and Important Actions in the Exercise of Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction especially wherein any of the Ministers are concerned And our Will is that the great Work of Ordination be constantly and solemnly performed by the Bishop in the
Lives zealously and constantly continue therein against all Opposition and promote the same according to our power against all Lets and Impediments whatsoever And that we are not able our selves to suppress or overcome we shall reveal and make known that it may be timely prevented or removed All which we shall do as in the sight of God And because these Kingdoms are guilty of many Sins and Provocations against God and his Son Iesus Christ as is too manifest by our present Distresses and Dangers the Fruits thereof We profess and declare before God and the World our unfeigned desire to be humbled for our own Sins and for the Sins of these Kingdoms especially that we have not as we ought valued the inestimable benefit of the Gospel that we have not laboured for the purity and power thereof and that we have not endeavoured to receive Christ in our hearts nor to walk worthy of him in our lives which are the Causes of other Sins and Transgressions so much abounding amongst us And our true and unfeigned purpose desire and endeavour for our selves and all others under our power and charge both in publick and in private in all Duties we owe to God and Man to amend our Lives and each one to go before another in the Example of a real Reformation That the Lord may turn away his Wrath and heavy Indignation and establish these Churches and Kingdoms in Truth and Peace And this Covenant we make in the presence of Almighty God the Searcher of all hearts with a true intention to perform the same as we shall answer at that great Day when the Secrets of all hearts shall be disclosed Most humbly beseeching the Lord to strengthen us by his Holy Spirit for this end and to bless our Desires and Proceedings with such Success as may be Deliverance and Safety to his People and encouragement to other Christian Churches groaning under or in danger of the Yoke of Antichristian Tyranny to ioyn in the same or like Association and Covenant to the Glory of God the Inlargement of the Kingdom of Iesus Christ and the Peace and Tranquility of Christian Kingdoms and Common-wealths The Oath and Declaration imposed upon the Lay-Conformists in the Corporation Act the Vestry Act c. are as followeth The Oath to be taken I. A. B. do declare and believe That it is not lawful upon any pretence whatsoever to take up Arms against the King and that I do abhor that Traiterous Position of taking Arms by his Authority against his Person or against those that are Commissioned by him So help me God The Declaration to be Subscribed I. A. B. do declare That I hold there lyes no Obligation upon me or any ot her Person from the Oath commonly called The Solemn League and Covenant and that the same was in it self an unlawful Oath and imposed upon the Subjects of this Realm against the known Laws and Liberties of this Kingdom All Vestry Men to make and Subscribe the Declaration following I. A. B. do declare That it is not lawful upon any pretence whatsoever to take Arms against the King and that I do abhor that Traiterous Position of taking Arms by his Authority against his Person or against those that are Commissioned by him And that I will Conform to the Liturgy of the Church of England as it is now by Law established And I do declare That I do hold there lyes no Obligation upon me or any other Person from the Oath commonly called The Solemn League and Covenant to indeavour any Change or Alteration of Government either in Church or State and that the same was in it self an unlawful Oath and imposed upon the Subjects of this Realm against the known Laws and Liberties of this Kingdom The Declaration thus Prefaced in the Act of Uniformity Every Minister after such reading thereof shall openly and publickly before the Congregation there assembled declare his unfeigned Assent and Consent to the use of all things in the said Book contained and prescribed in these words and no other I. A. B. do here declare my unfeigned Assent and Consent to all and every thing contained and prescribed in and by the Book Instituted The Book of Common Prayer and Administration of the Sacraments and other Rites and Ceremonies of the Church according to the use of the Church of England together with the Psalter or Psalms of David pointed as they are to be sung or said in Churches and the Forms or Manner of Making Ordaining and Consecrating of Bishops Priests and Deacons The Declaration to be Subscribed I. A. B. d◠declare That it is not lawful upon any pretence whatsoever to take Arms against the King and that I abhor that Trayterous Position of taking Arms by his Authority against his Person or against those that are Commissionated by him and that I will Conform to the Liturgy of the Church of England as it is now by Law established And I do declare that I do hold there lyes no Obligation upon me or any other Person from the Oath commonly called The Solemn League and Covenant to endeavour any Change or Alteration of Government either in Church or State and that the same was in it self a◠unlawful Oath and imposed upon the Subjects of this Realm against the known Laws and Liberties of this Kingdom The Oath of Canonical Obedience EGo A. B. Iuro quod praestabo Veram Canonicam Obedientiam Episcopo Londinens◠ejusque Successoribus in omnibus licitis honestis § 302. II. The Nonconformists who take not this Declaration Oath Subscription c. are of divers sorts some being further distant from Conformity than others some thinking that some of the forementioned things are lawful and some that none of them are lawful and all have not the same Reasons for their dissent But all are agreed that it is not lawful to do all that is required and therefore they are all cast out of the Exercise of the Sacred Ministry and forbidden to preach the Word of God § 303. The Reasons commonly given by them are either 1. Against the Imposing of the things forementioned or 2. Against the Using of them being imposed Those of the former sort were given into the King and Bishops before the Passing of the Act of Uniformity and are laid down in the beginning of this Book and the Opportunity being now past the Nonconformists now meddle not with that part of the Cause it having seemed good to their Superiours to go against their Reasons But this is worthy the noting by the way that all that I can speak with of the Conforming Party do now justifie only the Using and Obeying and not the Imposing of these things with the Penalty by which they are Imposed From whence it is evident that most of their own Party do now justifie our Cause which we maintained at the Savoy which was against this Imposition whilst it might have been prevented and for which such an intemperate Fury hath
less the English that alloweth you such a sence of these two Prepositions as if of must needs mean the Species and in may mean only the Integrity or Accidents We dare not be so bold as to feign such a Difference and Latitude of sence to be in the Preposition of unless we could prove it 3. Will it not be taken for Treason if you make the same Exposition of the other Clause of the Declaration and say that the King and Parliament meant no more than to say that no Man is bound by the Covenant to endeavour an Essential or Specifick Change of State-Government or no greater Change than what may leave it still in the Species of a Monarchy Or do you believe that they meant no more and that they determined not against supposed Obligations to lower Changes of the Royal Government 4. There is not the accuratest Grammarian and Logician of them all that can tell just what may be said to Specifie a Government and what but to integrate it and just how far a Change may go before it may be called a Change of the Species 5. But suppose all this were nothing It is clearly proved that it is not the Genus of Episcopacy but the Species of English Prelacy described which the Covenant meaneth And I have proved already that a specifick alteration of this Prelacy is lawful and whether also not-necessary let the impartial Reader judge I have asked the most Learned of the Diocesan Party that I could meet with this Question Whether it be not lawful for the King and Parliament to take down Chancellors and all Lay-Judges in Spiritual Courts and Deans Arch-deacons Commissaries and the Courts themselves and to take down a Bishop of a Thousand or many Hundred Churches and to set up a Bishop in every Market Town with the adjacent Villages yea or in every great Parish to govern with his Presbyters as it was in Ignatius his days and in Cyprian's And never Man of them denied it lawful for them to make such a Change if they saw it meet I have asked them further Whether they would not call this a Change of Government de specie or according to the sence of the Act And they all confest it For if they did not the Act and Declaration would herein do them no good but leave private Men to endeavour such an Alteration which they know is all the Alteration that ever we desired of them and for which they have called us Presbyterians I have asked them further Whether a Vow turn not a licet into an oportet And they never deny it Where then can you imagine any remaining difference Why this was all that they said That it was not this Species of Prelacy but Episcopacy in genere which the Covenant meant and consequently the Act meaneth Which I have proved to be most evidently untrue there being no other Episcopacy but our Prelacy then existent nor Episcopay ever named in the Convenant in genere but this Prelacy being exactly described and this purposely for the deciding of this very Doubt by the means of Mr. Gataker Dr. Burges and many more in the Assemblies who renounced the extirpation of all Episcopacy and the Lords having taken the Covenant in that openly declared sence But suppose all this had not been so Doth not a renunciation of the Genus contain the Species And if any Man voweth against the Genus mistaking it to be all sinful will not his Vow bind him against that Species which indeed is sinful though not against the others As suppose that a Man should think that All swearing and Accusing others were a sinâ— and so to save himself from the said sins should Vow to God against them all If afterward this Man discover that some swearing before a Magistrate is a duty and some accusing of another is he not for all that still bound against prophane and rash swearing and malicious or unjust accusing which indeed are sins for therein he was not mistaken So if Men had as they did not upon mistake make a Vow against all Episcopacy or Prelacy as a sin and afterward discover that one sort is a Duty and the other a Sin do they not remain obliged against that wherein they were not mistaken 6. Lastly Let it be noted That though it be said in Declaration of Government yet it is added in the Church and not of the Church which is as much against them as the other is for them seeming to intimate that it is not the Form only Constitutive of the Church which they here intend § 389. 5. Some leading Independents say That it was essential to this Vow to be also a League and as a League it is ceâ—sed by the cessation of Persons and Occasions This shift they were put upon first themselves being the first that nullifâ—ed these Bonds that they might do what they did against the Covenant and make it as an Almanack out of date Answ. 1. Though as a Political Instrument it be called by one Name A Solemn League and Covenant and so all the parts of it do make one Instrument yet 1. The formality of it as a League and as a Vow are different 2. And as a Vow to God and a Moral Act of Man there are in it as many distinct Vows as there are Maâ—ters vowed The League is not the end of the Vow but Reformation was the professed end of both to which they were taken as co-ordinate means And therefore it as a League it were ceased it followeth not that as a Vow it is so For Men are the parties in the League but God is one of the Parties in the Vow and every individual Person is the other Party And if one Vow or Article should cease it followeth not that all the rest do so 2. It is not proved that it ceaseth as a League Though it oblige us not to war or to any thing against the King or State and though many of the Persons be dead that took it For 1. War was not mentioned in the Covenant much less as the Duty of all the Covenanters sure it was never intended that all the Women must fight 2. If it had that was but one of the means there mentioned and every Man bound himself to endeavour in his Place and Calling and that was not to fight for all 3. Therefore though the particular Occasions cease the general Cause continueth the need of Reformation and though no Man be bound to any unlawful means it followeth not that there is no bound to lawful means And though some Persons be dead not only the Nations but many individual Covenanters are living 4. And in express Terms they bound themselves all the days of their lives zealously and constantly to continue therein and therefore intended no such cessation § 390. 6. Lastly The Latitudinarians say that the general Rule is That all Sayings are to be interpreted in the best sence that the words will bear Ergo Answ.
In the best sence which hath Evidence of Truth Charity requireth us to take all the words of others But the question is first Which is the true sence and not which is the best And if it can be proved that another is either certainly or probably the true meaning of any words we must not feign a better sence because it is better In the Case in hand the Law-makers have plainly declared their own sence by their Speeches and Votes and deliberate plain Expressions and by another Act for Corporations If I might take all Oaths and Statutes in the best sence which possibly those words may be used to express than I could take almost any Oath in the World and disobey any Law in the World under pretence of obeying it and tell any Lie under the pretence of telling Truth and Jesuitical Equivocation would be but the common Duty of the Charitable But Charity is not blind nor will it prove a fit Cover for a Lie He that knoweth the Parliament and is but willing to know their sence may know the mistakes of this pretended Charity And especially Laws and Oaths are to be taken in the sence which is plainest in the words § 391. Besides all that is already said I shall end this Subject with this question on the Non-subscribers part Whether an Oath doth not bind Men in the sence of the Takers though they be bound to take it in the sence of the Imposers if they know it As if I had been commanded to swear Allegiance to the King and he that commandeth it should mean Cromwell or some Usurper and I thought he had meant my rightful King Am I not bound hereby to the King indeed And if so Query further Whether any Man so well know the sence of every Man and Woman in England Scotland and Ireland as to be able to say that it was so bad that they are not obliged to it And in what Age it was that all Ministers were forbidden to Preach the Gospel of Christ till they knew the Hearts of all the People in three Kingdoms so far as to justifie them before God from the Obligations of such Vows and Oaths § 392. And though I heartily wish that the Prelates would have been intreated to have chosen another course of proceeding with their Brethren and not have tempted any to Repinings or Complaints for endeavouring which I lost their love yet I would admonish all my Brethren to take heed of aggravating this Difference so far as to bring the present Ministry into Contempt and hinder the Efficacy of their Labours I did my best to have prevailed beforehand that we might not have had any occasion of Divisions but if we must needs be divided that it might have been upon some lower Points than the Obligation of Oaths and Vows It had been better for the Prelates that the Non-subscribers had seemed to be scrupulous Persons that refused only some tolerable Ceremonies than that the fear of so great a Crime as justifying three Kingdoms from the Bond of an Oath and the guilt of Perjury should be the occasion of their Ejection and the Matter of this Publick Controversie But seeing this could not by us be prevented let us not be so partial as to wrong the Church by making them odious to justifie our selves It was sad when the Names of Formalists and Puritans and afterwards of Malignants and Rebels and Cavaliers and Roundheads distinguished the divided Parties But it is now grown worse when they are called PER-fidious jured secutors and PURITANS For the most odious Names do most potently tend to the extinguishing of Charity and the increase of the Difference between them § 393. III. The next Controversie is Political That it is not lawful on any pretence whatsoever to take up Arms against the King or as is after said against any Commissionated by him In this the Lawyers are divided yea and Parliament themselves one Parliament saying one thing and another another thing And the poor ejected Ministers of England are commonly so little studied in the Law that in these Controversies they must say as they are bidden or say nothing And they think it hard that when Lawyers and Parliaments cannot agree every poor ignorant Preacher must be forced to decide the Controversie and say and subscribe which of them is in the right upon pain of being cast out of their Office and silenced which they think as hard as if they were required to decide a Controversie between Navigators or Pope Zachary and Boniface's Case about the Antipodes or else be silenced We are ready to Subscribe That King Charles the Second is our lawful King and that we owe him Obedience in all his lawful Commands and that we are bound to defend his Person Dignity Authority and Honour with our Lives and Estates against all his Enemies and that neither Parliaments nor any other at home or abroad have any power to judge or hurt his Person or depose him or diminish any of his Power and that it is not lawful on any pretence whatsoever to conspire against him or â—stir up the People to Sedition or to take up Arms against either his Authority or his Person or against any lawfully Commissioned by him or any at all Commissioned by him except he himself by a contrary Commission or by his Law do enable us or not forbid us or when the Law of Nature doth oblige us In all these Cases we are ready to Subscribe And one would think this much might procure our Peace But that which is scrupled by the Non-subscribers is as followeth The words on any pretence whatsoever studiously put into a Form of Declaration by a Parliament are so universal as to allow no Latitudinarian Evasions or Limitations or Exceptions by any Man that is sincere and plain-hearted and doth not Equivocate with God and his Governours Now 1. Though the King's Authority or Person may not be resisted by Arms they are not certain that his Will may not in any Case be resisted 2. Though none Authorized that is Legally Commissioned by him may be resisted yet they are not certain that all that are Commissioned by him are Authorized or Legally Commissioned 3. Either this Declaration requireth us to suppose that the King never will Commission any illegally or else that though he do yet such may on no pretence whatsoever be resisted by Arms. If the former be the sence then either it is because no King will do it or only because no King of England will do it The former all Historians Politicians Lawyers and Divines are against And the latter hath no Evidence of Certainty to us But yet if that had been the sence we should have consented that on supposition the King commission Men legally they are not to be resisted But this no Man will say is to be supposed as an Event certainly and universally future But if the worst that is possible might be supposed possible then in these several Cases
who will also sure enough exclude themselves and do from any such Agreement But have you done the same as to the Socinians who are numerous and ready to include themselves upon our Communion The Creed as expounded in the Four first Councils will do it 3. Whether some Expressions suited to prevent future Divisions and Separations after a Concord is obtained may not at present to avoid all exasperation be omitted as seeming reflective on former Actings when there was no such Agreement among us as is now aimed at 4. Whether insisting in particular on the power of the Magistrate especially as under civil Coercition and Punishment in cases of Error or Heresie be necessary in this first Attempt These Generals occurred to my Thoughts upon my first reading of your Proposals I will now read them again and set down as I pass on such apprehensions in particular as I have of the Severals of them To the first Answer under the first Question I assent so also to the first Proposal and the Explanation Likewise to the second and third I thought to have proceeded thus throughout but I fore-see my so doing would be tedious and useless I shall therefore mention only what at present may seem to require second Thoughts As 1. To Propos. 9. by those Instances what Words to use in Preaching in what Words to Pray in what decent Habit do you intend Homilies prescribed Forms of Prayer and Habits superadded to those of vulgar decent use Present Controversies will suggest an especial Sense under general Expressions 2. Vnder Pos. 13. Do you think a Man may not leave a Church and joyn himself to another unless it be for such a Cause or Reason as he supposeth sufficient to destroy the Being of the Church I meet with this now answered in your 18th Propos. and so shall forbear further particular Remarks and pass on In your Answer to the Second Qu. Your 10th Position hath in it some-what that will admit of further consideration as I think In your Answer to the 3d. Qu. have you sufficiently expressed the accountableness of Churches mutually in case of Offence from Male-Administration and Church Censures This also I now see in part answered Prop. 5th I shall forbear to add any thing as under your Answer to the last Question about the power of the Magistrate because I fear that in that matter of punishing I shall some-what dissent from you though as to meer Coercion I shall in some Cases agree Vpon the whole Matter I judge your Proposals worthy of great Consideration and the most probable medium for the attaining of the End aimed at that yet I have perused If God give not an Heart and Mind to desire Peace and Vnion every Expression will be disputed under pretence of Truth and Accuracy But if these things have a place in us answerable to that which they enjoy in the Gospel I see no reason why all the true Disciples of Christ might not upon these and the like Principles condescend in Love unto the Practical Concord and Agreement which not one of them dare deny to be their Duty to Aim at Sir I shall Pray that the Lord would guide and prosper you in all Studies and Endeavours for the Service of Christ in the World especially in this your Desire and Study for the Inâ—â—â—â—â—ing of the Peace and Love promised amongst them that Believe and do beg your Prayers Your truly affectionate Brother And unworthy Fellow-Servant Iohn Owen Ian. 25. 1668. § 143. For the Understanding of this you must know 1. That the way which we came to at last for the publication of the Terms if he and I had agreed secretly should be That as I had Printed such a thing called Vniversal Concord 1660. which was neglected so I would Print this as the Second Part of the Vniversal Concord that it might lye some time exposed to view in the Shops before we made any further use of it that so the State might not suspect us for our Union as if we intended them any ill by doing our Duty which course he approved 2. That I oft went to him and he had written this Letter ready to send me and so gave it me into my hand but we first debated many things in presence in all which there remained no apparent Disagreement at all so far as we went And in particular the great Point about separating in the Cases enumerated he objected no more but what I answered and he seemed to acquiesce 3. But I so much feared that it would come to nothing that I ventured to tell him what a difficulty I feared it would be to him to go openly and fully according to his own Judgment when the Reputation of former Actions and present Interest in many that would censure him if he went not after their narrowed Judgment did lye in his way and that I feared these Temptations more than his Ability and Judgment But he professed full Resolutions to follow the Business heartily and unbyassedly and that no Interest should move him And so I desired him to go over my Proposals again and fasten upon every Word that was either unsound or hurtful or unapt or unnecessary and every such Word should be altered which he undertook to do and so that was the way that we agreed on but when I came home I first returned him this following Answer to his Letter and Exceptions Feb. 16. 1668. SIR UPon the perusal of Yours when I came home I find your Exceptions to be mostly the same which you speak and therefore shall be the briefer in my Answer upon Supposition of what was said To your First Qu. I answer I am as much for Brevity as you can possibly wish so be it our Agreement be not thereby frustrated and made insufficient to its ends I would desire you to look over all the Particulars and name me not only every one that you think unsound but every one which you judge unprofitable or needless But if we leave out that which most or many will require and none have any thing against it will but stop our Work and make Men judge of it as you did of the want of a longer Profession than the Scriptures against Socinianism And it will contradict the Title The Iust Terms of Agreement For our Terms will be insufficient And as to your Words the first attempt my business is to discover the sufficient Terms at first that so it may facilitate Consent For if we purposely leave out any needful part as for a second attempt we bring contempt upon our first Essay and before the second third and perhaps twentieth Attempt have been used to bring us to Agreement by Alterations and cross Humours and Apprehensions things will go as they have done and all be pulled in pieces Therefore we must if possible find out the sufficient Terms before too many hands be ingaged in it Your own Exceptions here say That if too many Explications had not afterward occurred
the Parish Churches through the greatness of some Parishes the lowness of the Minister's voices and the paucity of Churches since the burning of the City And they confess that the knowledge of the Gospel is ordinarily necessary to salvation and teaching and hearing necessary to knowledge and that to leave the people untaught especially where so many are speaking for Atheism Beastiality and Infidelity is to give them up to Damnation But yet they say that to do so is my duty because the Bishop is against my Preaching And I ought to rest satisfied that it is the Bishop and not not I that must answer for their Damnation Alas poor Souls Must they needs be damned by thousands without making any question of it as if all the question were who should answer for it I will not believe such cruel men I undertake to prove to them to them 1. That our English Species of Dioâ—â—san 〈◊〉 and Lay Choncellours power of the Keys is contrary to God's Word and destructive of true Discipline and of the Church form and Offices instituted by Christ. 2. That were the Offices Lawful the men have no true calling to it being not chosen or consented to by the Clergy or the People 3. That if their Calling were good they have no power to forbid the present Silenced Ministers to Preach the Gospel but thereby they serve Satan against Christ and Men's salvation Paul himself had his power to edification and not to destruction And Christ the Saviour of the World giveth his Ministers only a saving power and to none a power to samish and damn the people's Souls 4. That we are Dedicated as Ministers to the Sacred Office and it is Sacriledge in our selves or others to alienate us from it while we are not unfit or unable for it 5. That we are Charged as well as Timothy before God and the Lord Jesus Christ who shall judge the quick and the Dead at his appearing that we Preach the Word and be in season and our ef season reprove rebuke exhort c. 6. That the Ancient Pastors for many Hundred years did Preach the Gospel against the Wills of their Lawful Princes both Heathens and Aâ—â—ians 7 That the Bishop hath no more power to forbid us to Preach than the King hath And these men confess that Ministers unjustly Silenced may Preach against the Will of Kings but not say they of Bishops 8. That were we Lay-men we might teach and exhort as Lay-men as Origen did though we might not do it as Pastors much more being Ordained the Ministers of Christ. And that now to us it is a work which both the Law of Nature and our Office or Vow do bind us to even a Moral Duty And that when Christ judgeth men for not Feeding Clothing Visiting his Members it will not excuse us to say that the Bishop forbad us That if King or Bishop forbid us to feed our Children or to save the lives of drowning or famishing men we must disobey them as being against a great command of God Love and the Works of Love being the great indispensable Duties And Souls being greater Objects of Charity than Bodies 9. That it was in a Case of Pharifaical Church Discipline when Christ avoided not converse with sinners when their good required it that Christ sent the Pharisees to learn what this meaneth I will have mercy and not sacrifice and at two several times repeateth the same words 10. That Order is for the thing Ordered and it's ends and a power of Ordering Preachers is not a power to depose necessary Preaching and famish Souls 11. And I shew them that I my self have the License of the Bishop of this Diocess as well as Episcopal Ordination and that my License is in force and not recalled 12. And that I have the King's License 13. And therefore after all this to obey these Silencers nay no Bishop doth forbid me otherwise than as his Vote is to the Acts of Parliament which is as Magistrates and to fulfill their will that will be content with nothing but our forsaking of poor Souls and ceasing to Preach Christ this were no better than to end my Life of Comfortable Labours in obeying the Devil the Enemy of Christ and Souls which God forbid § 272. Yet will not all this satisfie these men but they cry out as the Papists Schism Schism unless we will cease to Preach the Gospel And have little to say for all but that No society can be governed if the Rulers be not the Iudge Yet dare they not deny but a Iudgment of discerning duty from sin belongeth to all Subjects or else we are Brutes or must be Atheists Idolaters Blasphemers or what ever a Bishop shall command us But under the Censures of these unreasonable Men who take our greatest Duties for our heinous sin must we patiently serve our Lord But his approbation is our full reward § 273 On Iuly 5th 1674. at our Meeting over St. Iamses's Market-house God vouchsafed us a great Deliverance A main Beam before weakened by the weight of the People so cracked that three times they ran in terrour out of the room thinking it was falling But remembring the like at Dunstan's West I reproved their fear as causeless But the next day taking up the boards we found that two rends in the Beam were so great that it was a wonder of providence that the floor had not faln and the roof with it to the destruction of multitudes The Lord make us thankful § 274 A person unknown professing Infidelity but wâ—ether an Infidel or a jagling Papist I know not sent me a Manuscript called Examen 〈◊〉 charging Scripture with Immorality Falshoods and Contradictions from the beginning to the end and with seeming Seriousness and Respectfulness importâ—ned me to Answer him I was in so great pain and weakness and engaged in other work that I sent him word that I had not time or strength for so long a Work He selected about a Dozen Instances and desired my Answer to them I gave him an Answer to them and to some of his General accusations but told him That the rational Order to be followed by a Lover of Truth is first to consider of the proofs brought for Christianity before we come to the Objections aganst it And I proved to him that Christianity was proved true many years before any of the New Testament was Written and that so it may be still proved by one that doubted of some words of the Scripture and therefore the true order is to try the truth of the Christian Religion first and the perfect Verity of all the Scriptures afterwards And therefore Importuned him first to Answer my Book called The Reasons of the Christian Religion and then if I lived I would answer his Accusations But I could not at all prevail with him but he still insisted on my Answering of his Charge And half a year or more after he sent me a Reply to the Answer
Assemblies and Preaching when we are Silenced Against whose Mistaken Endeavours I Wrote a Book called The Nonconformist's Plea for Peace § 12. One Mr. Hollingworth also Printed a Sermon against the Nonconformists and there tells a Story of a Sectary that Treating for Concord with one afterward a Bishop motion'd That all that would not yield to their Terms should be Banished to shew that the Nonconformists are for Severity as well as the Bishops The Reader would think that it was Me or Dr. Manton or Dr. Bates that he meant that had so lately had a Treaty with Dr. Wilkins and Dr. Burton I Wrote to him to desire him to tell the World who it was that by naming none he might not unworthily bring many into Suspicion He Wrote me an Answer full of great Estimation and Kindness professing That it was not me that he meant nor Dr. Manton nor Dr. Bates nor Dr. Iacomb but some Sectary that he would by no means Name but seemed to cast Intimations towards Dr. Owen one unlikely to use such words and I verily believe it was all a meer Fiction § 13. About that time I had finished a book called Chatholick Theologie in which I undertake to prove that besides things unrevealed known to none and ambiguous words there is no considerable difference between the Arminians and Calvinists except some very tolerable difference in the point of perseverance This book hath hitherto had the strangest fate of any that I have written except our Reformed Liturgy not to be yet spoken against or openly contradicted when I expected that both sides would have fallen upon it And I doubt not but some will do so when I am dead unless Calamities find men other work § 14. Having almost then finished a Latin Treatise called Methodus Theologiae containing near Seventy Tables or Schemes with their Elucidations and some Disputations on Schism containing the Nature Order and Ends of all Beings with three more I gave my Lord Chief Justice Hale a Specimen of it with my foresaid Catholick Theologie but told him it was only to shew my respects but desired him in his weakness to read things more directly tending to prepare for death But yet I could not prevail with him to lay those by so much as I desired but he oft gave me special Thanks above all the rest for that book and that scheme And while he continued weak Mr. Stevens his familiar Friend published two Volumes of his own Meditations which though but plain things yet were so greedily bought up and read for his sake even by such as would not have read such things of others that they did abundance of good And shortly after he published himself in Folio a Treatise of the Origination of Man to prove the Creation of this World very Learned but large He left many Manuscripts One I have long ago read a great Volumn in Folio to prove the Deity the Immortality of the Soul Christianity the Truth of Scripture in General and several books in particular solidly done but too copious which was his fault Two or three smal Tractates written for me I have published expressing the simple and excellent Nature of true Religion and the Corruption and great evils that follow Men's Additaments called wrongfully by the Name of Religion and contended for above it and against it and shewing how most Parties are guilty of this sin I hear he finished a Treatise of the Immortality of the Soul a little before he dyed But unhappily there is contest about his Manuscripts whether to Print them or not because he put a clause into his Will that nothing of his should be Printed but what he gave out himself to be Printed before he dyed He went into the Common Church-yard and there chose his grave and died a few daies after on Christmassday Though I never received any money from him save a Quarter 's Rent he paid when I removed out of my house at Acton that he might buy it and succeed me yet as a token of his love he left me forty shillings in his Will with which to keep his memory I bought the greatest Cambridge Bible and put his picture before it which is a Monument to my house But waiting for my own Death I gave it Sir William Ellis who laid out about Ten pounds to put it into a more curious Cover and keeps it for a Monument in his honour § 15. I found by the people of London that many in the sense of the late Confusions in this Land had got an apprehension that all Schism and Disorder came from Ministers and People's resisting the Bishops and that Prelacy is the means to cure Schism and being ignorant what Church Tyranny hath done in the World they fly to it for refuge against that mischief which it doth principally introduce Wherefore I wrote the History of Prelacy or a Contraction of all the History of the Church especially Binnius and Baronius and others of Councils to shew by the testimony of their greatest flatterers what the Councils and Contentions of Prelates have done But the History even as delivered by Binnius himself was so ugly and frightful to me in the perusing that I was afraid lest it should prove when opened by me a temptation to some to contemn Christianity it self for the sake and Crimes of such a Clergy But as an Antidote I prefixed the due Commendation of the better humble sort of Pastors But I must profess that the History of Prelacy and Councils doth assure me that all the Schisms and Confusions that have been caused by Anabaptists Separatists or any of the Popular unâ—uly Sectaries have been but as flea-bitings to the Church in comparison of the wounds that Prelatical Usurpation Contention and Heresies have caused And I am so far from wondering that all Baronius's industry was thought necessary to put the best visor on all such Actions that I wonder that the Papists have not rather employed all their wit care and power to get all the Histories of Councils burnt and forgotten in the World that they might have only their own Oral flexible tradition to deliver to Mankind what their interest pro re nata shall require Alas how small was the hurt that the very Familists the Munster Fanaticks the very Quakers or Ranters have done in comparison of what some one Pope or one Age or Council of Carnal Tyrannical Prelats hath done The Kingdom of Satan is kept up in the World next to that Sensuality that is born in all by his usurping and perverting the two great Offices of God's own institution Magistracy and Ministry and wring the Sword and Word against the Institutor and proper end But God is just § 16. There years before this I wrote a Treatise to end our common Controversies in Doctrinals about Predestination Redemption justification assurance perseverance and such like being a Summary of Catholick reconciling Theology § 17. In November 1677. Dyed Dr. Thomas Manton to the great loss of London
years importuned me to let him Print it 1. The sharp execution of the Law had then brought Multitudes into Prison and Poverty 2. Nonconformists both Presbyterians and Independents had taken the Corporation Oath and Declaration and Communicated in the Parish Churches for to make them capable of Trust and Office in the City And because it seâ—m'd to tend to their protection and advantage we heard of no noise made against them by the Independents but they admitted them as their Members to their Communion as before I was against their taking the Declaration but not against their Communicating but I medled not with them At last when the Earl of Shaftsbury was broken and gone and the City Power and Common Council subdued to the will of the King the foresaid Communion in publick was more freely blamed by the Independents and Anabaptists and some few hot Scots Men. And the private Church Meetings were so much supprest and the prisons so full that my Conscience began to tell me that I should be guilty of injuring the truth the Church and the Souls and Bodily welfare of my brethren if I should by silence harden them against publick worship Specially the Case of the Countrey moved me wherein a great part of the Kingdom scarce two hundred men in a whole Country can have the liberty of any true Church Worship besides Parochial I remembred the Case of the Old Nonconformists against the Brownists and the Writings of Mr. I. Ball Paget Hildersham Bradshaw Gifford Brightman Ames c. I could not but remember what work the separating party had made in England and Scotland in my days from 1644. till 1660 against Government Religion and Concord I saw what I long foresaw each extreme party growing more extreme and going further still from one another And so great a Change is grown on London that the Terms which we offered the Bishops for Concord 1660 are now abhorred as Antichristian I saw multitudes like to be Imprisoned and Ruined for refusing their Duty as if it were sin and disgracing Religion by fathering these Errours on it The Conformists seeing the Errour of the Separatists derided them all and were confirmed in the Justification of all their Conformity thinking that it was but a just differing from a crazed Company of Fanaticks Those that imprisoned and ruined both them and the rest of the Nonconformists thought they did God service by it against an unruly sort of Men The Common people were made believe that this was the true Complexion of all the Dissenters from whatever the Law Commanded The distance growing wider and great sufferings increasing hard thoughts of those by whom Men suffered all real Love did seem to be almost utterly destroyed and Neighbours dwelt together like unplacable Enemies And worst of all Men were frightened to think that they must rather give over all Church Worship than they must Communicate with the best Ministry in the Parish Churches and so the main body of the Land would live like Atheists who can have no other Church-Worship but the Parochial For the Nonconformists Churches were in almost all Countries so suppressed that no considerable Numbers could enjoy them And by this means the Papists were like to have their Wills The Protestants must be told that Recusancy is all their Duties And going to the Publick Churches a sin And who can for shame drive Papists to sin And if thus they could draw all Protestants to forsake the said Churches they would like a deserted City and Garrison'd Fort be open and ready for their possession And while the Papists and Malignants are studying how to cast out all the Godly Conforming Ministers that the Ductile remainder might be prepared for Popery the separating part of the Independents and Anabaptists and some few hot Scotch Presbyterians go before them and tell all the People that it is unlawful to hear them and to own them as Ministers or Churches and to have Communion with them in the Liturgy or Sacraments Even when the rigour of Prosecutors hath brought it to that pass that they must have such or none as to Church worship Seeing so many in prison for this Error to the dishonour of God and so many more like to be ruin'd by it and the separating party by the temptation of suffering had so far prevailed with the most strict and zealous Christians that a great Number were of their mind and the Non-conformable Ministers whose Judgment was against this separation durst not publish their dislike of it partly because of sharp and bitter Censures of the Separatists and who took them for Apostates or Carnal Temporizers that communicated in publick and partly for fear of Encouraging Persecution against the Separatists and partly for fear of losing all opportunity of teaching them and some that had no hope of any other friends or maintenance or Auditors thought they might be silent On all these accounts I that had no gathered Church nor lived on the Contribution of any such and was going out of the world in pain and Languor did think that I was fittest to bear men's Censures and to take that reproach on my self which my brethren were less fit to bear who might live for farther Service And at the Importunity of the Bookseller I consented to publish the Reasons of my Communicating in the Parish-Churches and against Separation Which when it was coming out a Manuscript of Dr. Owen's who was lately dead containing Twelve Arguments against such joyning with the Liturgie and publick Churches was sent me as that which had satisfyed Multitude I thought that if this were unanswered my labour would be much lost because that party would still say Dr. Owen's Twelve Arguments confuted all Whereupon I hastily answered them but found after that it had been more prudent to have omitted his Name For on that account a swarm of revilers in the City poured out their keenest Censures and three or four wrote against me whom I answered I will not name the men that are known and two of them are yet unknown But they went on several Prineiples some Charged all Communion with the Liturgie with Idolatry Antichristianity and perjury and backsliding One concealed his Judgment and quarrel'd at by-words And another turned my Treatise of Episcopacy against me and said it fully proved the Duty of Separation I was glad that hereby I was called to explain that Treatise lest it should do hurt to mistakers when I am dead and that as in it I had said much against one extream I might leave my Testimony against the other I called all these writings together a Defence of Catholick Communion And that I might be Impartial I adjoyned two piece against Dr. Sherlock that ran quite into the contrary Extreames unchurching almost all Christians as Schismaticks I confess I wrote so sharply against him as must needs be liable to blame with those that know not the man and his former and latter Virulent and ignorant Writings § 81. About this time
to this but will hold separated Churches shall acknowledge us true Churches and profess their Brotherly Love and distant Communion 3. That we all agree on some Rules for the peaceable management of our Differences without hardning the Wicked ensnaring the Weak hindering the Gospel and wronging the common Truths which we are agreed in If this motion take with you I will send you a Form of such Agreement and get as many as you can of your way to Subscribe it and the Associated Ministers of this County I doubt not will Subscribe it and we will do our parts to lead the World to Peace Seek God's direction and return your Resolution to Your faithful Brother Rich. Baxter Novemb. 6. 1658. To Mr. William Allen. Worthy Sir I Received yours of the 9th past wherein you are pleased to endeavour my Satisfaction touching the Passages in your Key which I wrote about as if I had taken Offence at them I do acknowledge I was a little troubled But I can truly say so far as I know my own Mind I was not troubled so much for my own sake as for the sake of others who I was afraid would make worse use thereof than ever I am like to do and so receive more prejudice thereby For I am not thereby set back a Hair's Breadth in my earnest desire to general Communion but do fear the general Inclinations of some others thereto are weakened thereby and an Advantage taken by such who have a mind to oppose an Agreement and the Minds of many prejudiced against your worthy Proposals for Government and the reading of them As for Example I was within these five Days commending your wholly Common-wealth and truly I desire with all my Heart a Government exactly calculated to your practical Model and there was one in Company who is Author of a small Piece called A sober Word to a serious People that took occasion to give a dash to my Commendation and to weaken the Reputation of your Writings as if you were easy in suggesting and asserting things upon Surmises or very slender Information Instancing what you say of himself in p. 332. of your Key as insinuating him to be such an one as did not think as he wrote but to be a Designing Jesuit When as all that know him and have known him a Tradesman here in London and in publick Imployment for many Years would be ready to acquit him in their Thoughts from any such thing which indeed I believe And I am informed that one Stubbs of Oxford who is said to have written Sir H. V. Vindication c. how true it is I know not is imployed to scrape together such things out of your Writings as may any wise reflect Disparagement The which things I still inform you of for no worse end than that you might avoid occasion towards those that seek occasion and that the Devil may have no Opportunity given him to hinder the Propagation and Fruit of your worthy Labours As for Sir H. V. I did not intend to interess my self in the Vindication of his Principles by that touch of him in my Letter for I do not know but that I am at as great a distance from them as you may be and am heartily glad to hear that his Interest and sway in the present House is much fallen I am not without a deep Sense of our Danger and that the preventing of near approaching Confusion and Blood under God depends much upon the speedy and well Settlement of the Militia through the Nation if it be not too late I cannot but have a jealous Eye upon the Quakers as well as the C. and Popish Party c. Sir I suppose my Brother Lambe will suddenly be with you if he be not already and therefore I shall earnestly intreat you to caution him against Extremes to which his temper doth much addict him I hear Mr. Gunning and what he is I presume you know giveth out that Mr. Lambe is come over to them And my Brother Lambe hath been too apt to let fall odd Expressions shewing how far his Thoughts incline him to hold Communion with Papists as those that wish him well do affirm And he hath oft been speaking to me how hard a thing it is to justify our Separation from Rome and to condemn it among our selves I thought good to give you this hint as being persuaded you may improve it for his good who I hope will much regard your Advice All against Infant Baptism are not esteemed Anabaptists for then Turks and Iews would Nor could you intend it in that Sense about King-killing for then there would have been no place for the Vanists to have been another Party distinct from them Nor does an after owning of their Act who took off the King prove them to be Agents in it that had no Hand in it when it was done These times have discovered as abundance of Wickedness in some so of Weakness in all sorts of good Men in one kind or other O that God would pardon what 's past and reduce his People into right Order Pray Sir excuse these confused Lines the Fruit of Haste and Diversion of Thoughts I had left at my House this Day a large Manuscript Intituled Romanism discussed or An Answer to the Nine first Articles of H. T. his Manual of Controversies c. Written by Mr. Io. Tombes The Printer that left it with my Wife in my Absence told her that Mr. Tombes desired me to write to you to prefix an Epistle to it but I have not spoke with Mr. Tombes nor the Printer about it or if I had should be loath to be so bold to desire such a thing unless I knew how acceptable it would be to you Sir the good Lord keep you and him who is YOURS Affectionately to serve you Will. Allen. London July 12. 1659. To his very Worthy Good Friend Mr. Rich. Baxter in Kidderminster Dear Brother I Take my self exceedingly beholden to you for your last it is so plain and purely Friendly And though I seem by my Reply to excuse those things which I take it for a kindness to be told of I beseech you believe that I speak but my Heart and the truth of my meaning The Author of the Sober Word I commended I never talkt of his being a Jesuit His Assertion forced me to conclude that either he was of a very lamentable Understanding or else he wrote not as he thought One of the two must needs be true Judge you whether a Christian of good Understanding can believe that Christ came at the end of Four Thousand Years to gather him a Church and settle Ministry and Ordinances for Eighty or a Hundred Years only and so to permit them to be extinguished Is not this the next Step to Flat Infidelity Is not a Christ that comes on so low a Design and settles a Church of so narrow a Space and short Continuance next to no Church I must profess if I believed this
be unjustly forbidden to Preach while Ability and Mens need continueth we must neither obey nor rebel XVI A Man may go further in obeying the Civil Power that only sets up Publick Teachers or Catechizers if they be unworthy than those that set up Church Pastors to whom we must commit the Pastoral Care of our Souls if they be unfit and receive the Sacraments from them Of which Mr. Philip Nye's Papers now printed may satisfie you XVII On some occasions it is lawful to hear an unmeet Minister And his Sacramental Administrations may not be Nullities or invalid to the Innocent Receiver We lose not our right when he loseth his reward But it is not lawful to encourage any intolerable Person in his usurping of the Ministry either by ordinary attending him or by committing the Care of our Souls to him that is 1. To such as are intolerably unable in Knowledge or Utterance or Practice 2. Or to such as are Atheists Infidels or true Hereticks 3. Or to notorious Malignants that do more harm than good XVIII Though its a hard Question how far other Vices disoblige us from submitting to such a Ministry e. g. Perjury Renouncing Reformation and Repentance great Errours Drunkenness Idleness and such like yet 1. He that can without greater mischief than benefit have a better should undoubtedly prefer him 2. And a Man that feeleth the need of a better to his own Soul and knoweth how much a Scandalous Ministry wrongeth Christ and the Church is very unfit to be persecuted or troubled for preferring his Soul's benefit before a Humane Parish Order For Cyprian and an African Council in the Case of two Portugâ—l Bishops have laboured to prove out of Scripture That A Libellaticke and so such like scandalous Sinner is uncapable of being a Bishop or Pastor and ought to be forsaken by the People though the Neighbour Bishops own him 2. Pope Nicholas and the Canons of some Councils Command that no one hear Mass of a Priest that liveth in known Fornication And may not a Christian be tolerated in being but as strict against Vice as the Papists and Councils are and being of the opinion of so holy a Martyr as Cyprian and erring if he err but as he and that African Council did XIX All this is but Preparatory To the Case I say you must distinguish between the Command and the Prâ—hibition of your Rulers and your Parents 1. The Command of you Prince is the Command of a lawful Power and to hear honest tolerable Ministers such as we have many in the Pubâ—ick Assemblies is a lawful Command whatever some say without profit against it and therefore you ought to obey it And your Parents are a lawful Power for the many Reasons which I publickly named expresly mentioned rather than Princes in the fourth Commandment And to Hear and Communicate in the Assemblies of Orthodox godly Christians unlawfully prohibited by Man is a lawful Command and ought to be obeyed Both the Powers are lawful and both the Commands lawful and both must be obeyed as far as you can at several seasons But you cannot be in two places at once 2. Intending no dishonour to Authority I must not betray Truth and Souls while it is my Office to resolve their Doubts proposed with submission to better Information I am past doubt that both the Prohibitions in your Case here are lawful and neither of them to be formally obeyed That is in general to take any true Ministers of Christ for no Ministers or Christians for no Christians and Churches for no Churches and so to avoid them or to take their Communion for sinful when it is not is a heinous sin He that thus avoideth lawful Communion as unlawful reproacheth the People and Worship of the Lord and in a degree doth as it were Excommunicate all those Churches judging them unworthy of Communion And if it be a great sin rashly to Excommunicate one Christian what is it so to Excommunicate whole Parishes Cities Counties or Congregations Your Parents forbid you to hear in Publick It is an unlawful Prohibition of a lawful thing commanded by the King and Laws and you are not to obey it You say the Laws forâ—id you to joyn with any Nonconformable Ministers and Christians in other Assemblies than the Parish Churches If they do so I humbly conceive that it is an unlawful Prohibition of a thing that God to some commandeth and therefore is not to be formally obeyed God commandeth us not to forsake the assembling of our salves Hebr. 10. He chargeth all true Ministers to preach his Word and be instant in season and out of season and woe be to them that are truly called and not lawfully deposed if they preach not the Gospel when there is need He that shall say That now in England there is not true need of the joynt Labours of all faithful Ministers of Christ Conformists and Nonconformists will but shew that ignorance or unconscionable indifference in the Matters of Salvation as will warrant all wise Men to suspect his Counsel and all that know the Falshood to reject it Christ requireth all his Servants to live in purity love and peace and consequently not to reject Communion with each other as unlawful when it is not so nor to go any further from each other than they needs must nor unjustly to judge one Man much less Christian Societies He that in the days of the Emperours of various Opinions Constantius Valens Theodosius Junior Zeno Anastasius the Leo's and others that were some for Images and some against them would have called the Pastors and Assemblies unlawful and unfit for Communion because they were forbidden would have been a guilty Separatist And so may he be that separateth from forbidden Assemblies as well as he that separateth from commanded ones by men And if God command Love and Communion of all Christians as they have occasion as being one Bread and one Body what God commandeth and conjoyneth no Man may forbid or put asunder Therefore I conceive you owe Obedience to both the positive Commands but to neither of the general Prohibitions of Communion XX. But you cannot obey both at once I answer Obey both as far as you can and obey neither when it tendeth to your destruction If Parents bid you joyn with Hereticks or Rebels obey them not If others bid you commit the Pastoral Care of your Souls to intolerable Men obey them not But where formal Obedience ceaseth Prudence must direct you about material Obedience It is Obedience when we do it in Conscience to the Authority It is Prudence when we gather our Duty from the End Avoid that most that bringeth the most intolerable Consequents and prefer that which tendeth to the greatest Good Some dwell where there is no Competition all the Ministers being only of one way Some when the â—ll Consequents are more on one side and some where they are more on the other And Rituals give place to Morals Go learn